Button saw



H. E. AxEL BUTTON SAW Filed Oct. 16, 1941 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harold Elwood Axel, Muscatine, Iowa Application October 16, 1941, Serial No.415,182

v 12 Claims. My invention relates to improvements in but- .ton saws, but is applicable to cutters for many other uses.

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved type of tubular crown saw having durable teeth that will last indefinitely and permit operation for long periods without re-sharpening, that can be readily sharpened when necessary or easily replaced; to provide means which will permit the use 01' small rods of tungstencarbide or other hard and more or less fragile metals or alloys as teeth or cutters, and which will protect such teeth against breakage while holding them securely locked in their adjusted positions; to provide teeth or cutters which will form smooth peripheries upon the buttons and not require refinishing and which will operate satisfactorily on shells 01' all kinds as well as upon various metals, plastics and other materials and which may be used to cut cylindrical objects of various kinds as well as buttons. Other obiects will appear from the description.

In the manufacture of shell buttons, tubular crown saws have been in common use. Such saws have commonly been made of steel and when so made, require re-sharpening every few minutes, as well as leaving lines or tool marks upon the peripheries of the button blanks which require polishing oil or refinishing. Saws having teeth made 01' tungsten carbide have also been used and such teeth are more durable than steel, but great dlfilculty has been experienced because of breakage, such teeth being more or less fragile and'it being diillcult to mount them in a form that would protect them from breakage.

I overcome these difliculties by providing for the use of rod-like teeth or cutters formed of tungsten-carbide or formed of steel with tungsten-carbide tips united thereto, adjustably mounted in tubular holders which practically surround the rods and aflord firm support for them upon all sides with only a minimum amount projecting beyond the holder, which projection' is sharpened to form the cutting edges of the teeth.

I accomplish my objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a vertical halt-sectional view my saw completely assembled;

Figure 2 is a plan view looking upwardly from the bottom of Figure 1;

Figures 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e show enlarged detail views of the tungsten-carbide rods or cutters in several positions. H

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

It will be understood that these saws or cutters can be made in various sizes. 1

My appliance comprises a body or holder 4 of cylindrical form, but of varying diameter, provided with a'bore 4a the internal diameter of which is equal to the outside diameter of the saw tube i. The bore at the lower end of the block 4 is beveled and this beveled portion forms a seat for a irustum 3 formed integral with the saw tube I.

The saw tube l is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 2 extending down to the lower end thereof and these slots 2 extend through the irustum 3.

The lower ends of the slots 2 are bored out to form slotted tubes adapted to fit and hold the cutter bars or teeth II. The bores and the teeth III have a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the slots 2 and the tubes will form a firm support for the rods I! when the lower end of the saw tube l is contracted.

The opposite end of the saw tube l is provided with a bore I threaded to receive a bolt 6 formed integral with a block 8 and head 8. When the bolt 6 is screwed into the bore I, the block I will contact the upper end of the body 4 and as the bolt 6 is turned, it will draw the saw tube i into the body 4 causing the beveled seat 5 to a press upon the frustum 4 thereby contracting the frustum and the lower end of the saw tube l and binding the rods 10 firmly in place in their respective bores.

The bolt 6 may be hollow and provided with a rod in slidingly mounted therein, which rod may be utilized to push out the button after it is cut. Such pushermeans are in common use and I make no claim to such pusher separately.

The rods I ll are preferably formed of tungsten-carbide, a material noted for its exceeding hardness, but also somewhat brittle. The lower end of the rod I0 is ground away through approximately one-half its thickness, leaving a very short tooth projecting therefrom which is beveled on one side to form a chisel edge ill. The sides of the teeth I! may also be beveled as at ID" to form lateral cutting edges if desired, but in general, such lateral cutting edges will not be necessary.

The chisel edge ll may be of a length corresponding to the diameter of the rod It or it may be widened slightly so as to provide a out having a diameter slightly wider than the diameter of the rods II, but various forms for this chisel edge may be utilized without departing from the spirit of my invention.

when the rods or cutters iii are formed of tungsten-carbide, this form of apparatus may be utilized to cut steel or any oi. the softer metals, and rods or cutters of extremely hard steel or various alloys may be utilized to cut plastics and soiter metals. Likewise, other alloys may be de so asto lock all of the rods firmly in place. The

chisel edges ID are intended to extend on-radial lines from the center of the saw tube I and when properly formed and adjusted, will make extremely smooth cuts so that the blanks cut thereby will not require reworking on the edges to remove lines and tool marks as is necessary with the saws now in common use.

The lower end of the saw tube i is bored out with a bore Ii which extends upwardly intov the tubefar enough to accommodate shells of the thicknesses being operated upon and may be varied in depth to meet the requirements of dif ierent cases.

I prefer to provide the walls of the lower end of the saw tube l ,with a thickness of approxl mately one-sixteenth of an inch and to form the teeth or cutters I ll having a diameter slightly in cutters will cut annular channels having a width of approximately one-sixteenth 01 an inch, but I do not limit my claims to any specified size or proportions.

In the use of my apparatus, the saw tube i is inserted in the bore 4a of the body t. The bolt is then screwed into the bore 1 of the saw tube and turned until the frustum I is brought into contact with the seat 5 and tightened enough so that the bores in the lower end of the saw tube I will flt snugly upon the rods Ill. The rods are then adjusted so that the chisel edge it projects a very short distance beyond the end of the saw tube I. The bolt 8 is then tightened until the rods III are locked firmly in position. The rod a is then put in place and the entire assembly mounted in the usual way in the button-cutting machine.

It is obvious that many changes in form, size, proportions and materials utilized may be made without departing from the spirit of my inven tion and I do not limit my claims to the precise forms, proportions and materials described or shown in the drawing.

I claim: Y

1. A button saw comprising arevolvable body with a longitudinal central bore formed therein,

having a beveled annular seat at one end of the bore, a tubular carrier mounted Within the bore slidable longitudinally therein and having an errternal frustum united thereto seatable in the 'beveled seat, a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the carrier and i'rustum extending to one end of the carrier, each slot having a longi tudinal seat formed therein at its outer end,

aromas the slots respectively, wch cutter bar having a cutting tooth formed upon the outer end thereoi, a threaded bore formed in the opposite end of the carrier, and a bolt mounted in said thread-' ed bore having a projecting head to bear against the adjacent end of the body whereby the carrier may be drawn into the body and the frustum caused to wedge against the beveled seat thereby contracting the slotted end-of the carrier and securing the cutter bars against displacement.

2. In a button saw, the combination with a revolvable outer wedge member, of an inner wedge member mounted therein having a plurality oi with a longitudinal central bore formed therein,

having an internally beveled seat, a cutter bar holder mounted within the bore slid'able longitudinally, therein having unitedthereto an external-ly beveled wedge-member arranged to coact with the beveled seat, a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the holder, each slot having a longitudinal bore formed therein at its outer end, cutter bars adjustably mounted in the bores of the slots respectively, each bar carrying excess of one-sixteenth of an inch so that the i cutter bars adjustably mounted in theseats of a cutting tooth at the outer end thereof, a threaded bore formed in the opposite end of the carrier, a bolt mounted in said threaded bore having a projecting head to bear against the adjacent end of the body whereby the wedge-members may be drawn together to contract the slotted end of the carrier and secure the bars firmly in the holder.

i. A button saw as described in claim 3, the beveled seat being located at one end of its bore.

5. A button saw as described in claim 3, the

lgeveled seat being located near the end of its ore. 6. A button saw comprising a body with a longitudinal central bore formed therein, having an internally beveled seat at one end of the bore, a contractable holder mounted within the bore slidable longitudinally therein and having united thereto an externally beveled wedge-member arranged to co-act with the beveled seat, a pluraiity of longitudinal slots formed in the holder,-

each slot having a longitudinal bore formed therein at its outer end, cutting means dju p ably mounted in the bores or the slots "respectlvely, havlngcutters formed upon the outer ends thereof, and means mounted in the opposite end of the carrier whereby the carrier may be drawn into the body to cause it to wedge against the beveled seat to contract the slotted end of the carrier and secure the cutting means in fixed position in their respective bores.

button saw comprising a body with a lon itudinal central bore formed therein, having cruelly beveled seat at one end of the bore, ctable holder mountedwithin the bore s Tole longitudinally therein and having united thereto an externally beveled Wedge-member arranged to eo=act with the beveled seat,.a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the holder, each slot having a longitudinal bore formed therein at its outer and, cutting means mounted in the bores or" the slots respectively, having cutters thereto an externally beveled wedge-member arranged to co-act with the beveled seat, a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the holder, each slot having a longitudinal bore formed therein at its outer end, cutter bars adjustably mounted in the bores of the slots respectively,

each bar carrying a cutting tooth at the outer end thereof, a threaded bore formed in the opposite end of the carrier, and a bolt mounted in said threaded bore having a projecting head to bear,

against the adjacent end of the body whereby the wedge-members may be drawn together to contract the slotted end of the carrier and secure the bars firmly in the holder.

9. In a button saw the combination with a body having a longitudinal central bore formed therein, having an internally beveled seat at one end of the bore, of a contractable holder mounted within the bore slidable longitudinally therein and having united thereto an externally beveled wedge-member arranged to co-act with the beveled seat, a plurality of longitudinal slots formed in the holder, each slot having a longitudinal bore formed therein at its outer end, cutting means adjustably mounted in the bores of the slots respectively, having cutters formed upon the outer ends thereof, and means mounted in the opposite end of the carrier whereby the carrier may be drawn into the body to cause-it to wedge against the beveled seat to contract the slotted end of the carrier and secure the cutting means in fixed position in their respective bores.

10. In a button saw, the combination with a revolvable outer wedge-member, of an inner wedge-member mounted therein having a plurality of slotted bores formed at one end thereof, rods mounted in the bores resmctively each rod having a cutting tooth formed thereon, and means whereby the inner member may be drawn into the outer member arranged to cause the wedging action thereof when so drawn to secure the inner and outer members against movement relative to each other and to contract the bores upon the rods and secure them in fixed adjusted positions therein.

11. In a button saw, the combination with a revolvable outer wedge-member, of a slotted tubular inner wedge-member mounted therein having a plurality of slotted bores formed at one end thereof, rods mounted in thebores respectively each rod having a cutting tooth formed thereon, and means whereby the inner member may be drawn into the outer member arranged to cause the wedging action thereof when so drawn to secure the inner and outer members against movement relative to each other and to contract the bores upon the rods and secure them in fixed adjusted positions therein.

12. In a button saw, the combination with a revolvable outer wedge-member, of an inner wedge-member mounted therein having a plurality of longitudinal slotted bores formed in the outer end thereof, cutter bars mounted in the bores respectively, each bar having a cutting tooth formed at the outer end thereof projecting beyond its bore, means whereby the inner mem-- ber may be drawn into the outer member arranged to cause a wedging action thereof which will contract the bores upon the rods and hold the rods securely in ,adjusted positions therein. and means slidably mounted in the inner member to discharge the cut blanks when the saw is raised from the shell or other material being cut.

HAROLD E. m. 

